Right-angle drive transmission



`w. c. BAKER RIGHT-ANGLE DRIVE TRANSMISSION Aug. 3l, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 24, 1952 D ,t 1.... .ml

INVENTOR: Wil/ard C. Baker,

Patented Aug. 3l, 1954 UNITED bsTATEs PATENT oF FICE RIGHT-ANGLE DRIVE Willard C. Baker, Jackson,

J ered Industries, Inc., Hazel poration of Michigan rlRANSMIS SION Mich., assigner to Park, Mich., a cor- Application January 24, 1952, Serial No. 268,043 15 Claims. (Cl. 74378) other gears.

One specic form of mechanism, according to the preceding objects and which is illustrated and described in accordance a second `driving engagement.

The following specification and the accompanying drawings describe and illustrate the novel features of this invention.

with part shown in elevation. I

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the transmission taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. .2 together caps I0 and Il.

Caps I0 and II are in turn `bolted securely to the universal joint centerplate I2 which provides a support upon which universal joint caps I3 and I Ll are bolted. Caps I3 and I4 are mounted bolted securely to adapter I8. Adapter plate I8 is internally splined on By virtue of the double universal joint just described, the input bevel gear i9 is free to move in a vertical plane and at the same time rotate about its own axis. It is possible for the axis of the input shaft to be at a different angle with respect to a horizontal reference lin-e than the axis of the input bevel gear. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the axis of the bevel gear and input shaft t freedom of motion of this input bevel gear, it may appropriately be termed a floating pinion.

A yoke 2| encircles a cylindrical shell 22 and is slidably supported by it. The cylindrical shell 22 is in turn supported by parallel webs 23 and 24 which are extensions of the outer housing casting l and are integral with it. In this particular embodiment the shell 22 is secured to the two webs by means of a press fit. Yoke 2l has an extended arm 25 upon which the input bevel gear I9 is rotatably mounted.

Fig. 2 shows two bevel gears, 21 and 28, which will be hereinafter referred to as output bevel gears. Both output bevel gears 2l and 28 have extended hubs, 29 and 3B, upon which two external splines, 3l and 32 respectively, are located. Output bevel gear 21 is mounted upon suitable bearings 33 and 36.. Bearing 3'3 is backed up by the cylindrical shell 22 which in turn is firmly supported by wecs 23 and 24. Bearing 34 is backed up by the outer housing casting I. Output bevel gear 28 is similarly mounted by bearings 35 and 3E, bearing 35 being backed up by the cylindrical shell 22 and bearing @t being backed up by the outer housing.

Figures 2 and 3 show a fourth bevel gear 3l which engages the two output bevel gears 21 and 28. This fourth bevel gear is mounted upon two suitable bearings 3B and 39 which are in turn backed up by the webs 23 and 2li and by the outer housing I respectively. The main function of this fourth bevel gear is to provide a path for the transmission of power from one output bevel gear to the other, as will be explained subsequently. This fourth bevel gear therefore is appropriately termed the idler gear and it will be hereinafter referred to by this name.

A hollow shaft dll, which will hereinafter be referred to as the power output shaft, is concentric with the two output bevel gears 21 and 28', and eX- tends through the transmission perpendicularhT to the power input shaft 3. Located outside of the outer housing I are two output flanges 4i and 42 which are securely splined to the two ends of the power output shaft 4t'. The power absorbing devices are drivably connected to these two output flanges but are not shown. The sub-assembly consisting of the output shaft iii and the two flanges I and 42 is end supported by two bearings 43 and lli which are in turn mounted in the outer housing l. rEhe two output bevel gears 21. and 28 are independently revolvable upon the power output shaft tu. Oil seals are located at the bases of the power output anges 4i and [l2 and the power input ange 2.

A shifting lever 46 is splined to a rotatable shaft il which has splined thereon a fork te. The two extremities of the shifting yoke 48 have mounted thereon shoes e9 which are situated inside the peripheral groove 45 located in shifter 50; The center portion 5i of output shaft Mi is externally splined and mates with the internally splined shifter i). The` rotary motion imparted tothe shifting fork t8 by the shifting lever li causes the shifter to. move in an axial direction along the splined center portion 5l of the. output should intersect. Because of the shaft. A hollow tube 52 is embedded at one end thereof in the housing l and acts as a cantilever support for the shaft 4'! which is assembled concentrically with respect to the tube 52. To avoid interference with tube 52, yoke 2i and the cylindrical shell 22 are cut away thereby producing a slot 55 through which tube 52 extends.

1n the operation of this invention, input bevel gear i9 is continually rotated in one direction by means of the close coupled double universal joint which is interposed between the power input shaft 3- and the input bevel gear. Fig. 5', position No. l of the shifting yoke t8 is the neutral position wherein the output bevel gears 2l and 28 will be driven in opposite directions while the power output shaft te remains stationary.

When the shifting yoke i8 is moved to position No. 2, the shifter 5@ moves along the splined center portion 5i of the power output shaft lli! until it engages with the external spline 3l on the hub extension 2t of output bevel gear 21 thus effecting a locked engagement of the power output shaft d@ and the output bevel gear 2l which causes the output flanges il and @l2 and the power output shaft di! to turn together.

When the shifting yoke i3 is moved to position No. 3, the shifter 5t engages with spline 32 thus causing the output flanges di and @l2 to ro.- tate together in the opposite direction.

For purposes of illustration in more particular detail, the power input flange 2 will be considered as being driven continually in a clockwise direction when the transmission is viewed from the input side and shifting yoke i8 will be assumed to be in position No. 2. When torque is applied to the input iiange 2, the input bevel gear I9 begins to rotate in a clockwise direction by virtue of the operation of the close coupled double universal joint. Before tooth contact occurs at the mesh with the output bevel gear 2l, the input bevel gear it must rotate until the backlash at this mesh is taken up. If the axis of the input bevel gear i9 is made to coincide with the axis of the power. input shaft, as in the case of conventional right angle drive transmissions, and no provision is made for angular displacement of the axis of the input bevel gear about the centerline of the output shaft Mi, then the idler gear 3l. cannot deliver power from output bevel gear 2S to output bevel gear 2l. The path of power ow therefore would be from the power input flange 2 and the power input shaft 3 to the close coupled double universal joint to output bevel gear 2 then to spline 3i which is locked to splined portion 5i by shifter 5i] and then to the power output flanges All and ft2.

On the other hand, with a drive embodying this invention, two paths of power new are provided. The second path is provided by compensating for the backlash of the meshes between the input bevel gear i9 and output bevel gear 22, between output bevel gear 2% and idler gear 2l', and between idler gear 3i and output bevel gear 2l. When torque is applied to the power input shaft the input bevel gear iii has a tendency to ride up on output bevel gear 2l with which it meshes by virtue of its free floating characteristic. The only restraint offered to this tendency to ride up is the gear load which is produced at the mesh with the output bevel gear 2t. By virtue of the fact that part of the input torque is now being abscrbed by output bevel gear 22S in this manner,

n thel backlash will be taken up and a positiveA engagement will result between the two output bevel gears 21 and 28 through idler gear 37 thus permitting the transfer of power :from output bevel gear 28 to output transfers it to the bevel gear 28.

characteristic of the input output bevel gears are thrust loads created by the holding forces.

4 may be removed to make this idler spline accessible.

It is also apparent that a right angle drive of this type will permit the shifter 50 in the right angle drive.

It is thus seen from` the foregoing description that the applicant I claim: 1. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an input gear connected to said shaft for through both of the output gears.

2. In a right angie drive transmission, an input output gears.

3. In a right angle drive transmission, an input output gears. l 4. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an input gear connected to said shaft 6. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an input gear normally disposed with its axis of rotation substantially concentric pair of output gears meshing with said input gear, an idier gear mesh'ng with said pair of output gears, an output shaft, and means for connecting either of said output gears to said output shaft to effect rotation thereof in opposite directions with power transmitted to the shaft through both of the output gears.

7. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an input gear normally disposed with its axis of rotation concentric with the axis of said shaft, a double universal joint interconnecting said gear and shaft, means mounting said gear for limited movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, a pair of output gears meshing with said input gear, an idler gear meshing with said pair of output gears, an output shaft, and means for connecting one of said output gears to. said output shaft to effect rotation thereof, the movement of said input gear about the perpendicular axis being'suficient to compensate. for the backlash of the4 input gear, the unconnected output gear, the idler gear and the connected output gear and effect a positive engagement of said gears whereby power is transmitted to the output shaft through` both of the output gears.

S. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an output shaft disposed with. its axis perpendicular to the axis of the input shaft, a pair of output gears mounted with their axes concentric with the axis of the output shaft, an input gear meshing with said output gears, means mounting said input gear for limited rotation about the axis of said output. shaft, means connecting said input gear to said input shaft for universal movement relative thereto while being rotated thereby, an idler gear meshing with both said output gears, and means for connecting either of said output gears to the output shaft for rotation thereof in opposite directions with power supplied through both output gears.

9. 1n a right angle drive transmissiom an inputV shaft, an output shaft disposedwith its axis perpendicular to the axis of the input shaft, a pair of output gears mounted with their axes concentric with the axis of the output shaft, an input gear meshing with said output gears, means mounting said input gear for limited rotation about the axis of said output shaft, a double universal joint connecting said input shaft to said input gear, an idler gearV meshing with both said output gears, and means for connecting either of said output gears to the, output shaft. for rotation thereof in opposite directions with power supplied through both output gears.

10. in a right angle drive transmissiom an input shaft, an output shaft disposed with its axis perpendicular to the axis of the input shaft, a pair of output gears mounted with their axescon-v centric with the axis of the output shaft, an input gear meshing with said output, mounting said input gear for limited rotation about the axis of said output shaft and with the of rotation of the input gear normally substantially concentric with the axisr of the input shaft, means connecting said. input input shaft for universal movement relative thereto while being rotated thereby, an idler gear meshing with both said output gears, and means for connecting either of said output gears to the output shaft for rotation thereof in opposite directions with power supplied through both output gears.

11. In a right angle drive transmission, an

gears, means,

gear to saidv input shaft, an output shaft disposed with its axis perpendicular to the axis of the input shaft, a pair of output gears mounted with their axes concentric with the axis of the output shaft, an input gear meshing with said output gears, means mounting said input gear for limited rotation about the axis of said output shaft and with the axis of rotation of said input gear normally substantially concentric with the axis of the input shaft, a double universal joint connecting said input shaft to said input gear, an idler Vgear meshing with both said output gears, and means for connecting either of said output gears to the output shaft for rotation thereof in opposite directions with power supplied through both output gears.

12. In a right angle drive transmission, an input shaft, an input gear having its axis normally substantially concentric with the axis of the input shaft, a driving connection between said input shaft and input gear providing for a limited eccentric positioning of the axis of the input gear relative to the axis of the input shaft, an output shaft having its axis perpendicular to the axis of the input shaft, a pair of output gears meshing with said input gear, an idler gear meshing with said pair of output gears, means mounting said input gear for limited rotation about the axis of the output shaft, and means for connecting either of said output gears to the output shaft for'rotation thereof in opposite directions with power supplied through both output gears.

13. A power transmitting mechanism for delivering power from a rotating driving means to a driven shaft comprising a first gear drivably connected to said driving means, a second gear adapted to ce connected to said driven shaft and drivably engaged with said first gear, a third gear engaged with said rst gear, a fourth gearengaged with said second gear and said third gear to provide a second driving engagement with said second gear, and means for mounting one of said gears for limited displacement in a direction transverse to the axis thereof.

14. In a power transmitting mechanism, a power input gear, a pair of driven gears engaged with said input gear, another gear engaged with each of said driven gears thereby providing a positive driving gear train therethrough between said input gear and one of said driven gears, a power output shaft, means for connecting l said one driven gear to said output shaft, and

means for mounting one of said gears to permit displacement in a direction transverse to the axis thereof.

15. In a power transmitting mechanism, a power input gear, a pair of driven gears engaged with said input gear, a power output shaft, means for connecting either of said driven gears to said output shaft, another gear engaged with each of said ,driven gears thereby providing a positive driving gear train therethrough between said input gear and the driven gear connected to the output shaft, and means for mounting one of said gears for limited displacement in a direction transverse to the axis thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 1,1103-,9-13` Pennington i Jan. 17, 1922 2,514,262 Schmitter July 4, 1950 

